Educational policy changes in Korea: ideology and praxis

Abstract

During the last four decades Korea underwent a series of political agitations and that resulted the establishment of the Sixth Republic. During the same period, Korean education experienced remarkable changes in both quantity and quality. Under a government-dominent social system such as Korea, public policy has direct influence upon the praxis of education. This paper will address the issue of determining the underlying values or ideology behind public education and policies and the reflection of these values in actual practice. This will involve an overview of the socio-political process in the evolutionary development of selected major education policies, reveal current policy issues and explore desirable policy direction in the relation to current ideological orientations.